Do you support premarital workshops?
Many people would argue that the age of marriage and the number of children are personal choices that should not be subject to interference from the state
Published: 03:10 PM,Oct 10,2026 | EDITED : 07:10 PM,Oct 10,2026
Last week, I attended a bioethics symposium that discussed a critical question that concerns every family in Oman: why are we having fewer children?
According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information, in the first half of 2026, Oman registered 32,405 live births, 1.7 per cent fewer than in the same period last year.
Omani women now have an average of 2.8 children, compared with more than eight in the late 1980s. Part of this can be explained by social factors such as delaying marriage to pursue a career or higher education and increased rates of divorce.
Some youngsters may be influenced by social media posts that encourage women to be stronger and independent, while others assume a happy marriage must be built in romance, expensive gifts, and fancy holidays abroad.
Some men in particular fear that marriage and the commitment that comes with it may stop them from enjoying camping trips with friends or simply playing video games with them.
A common misconception about marriage is that it is a prison-like situation where one or both partners give up their freedom and sometimes their rights for the sake of the other.
Equally, one should not overlook the economic side: some young people struggle to find work after graduation, while others earn salaries too low to cover the cost of a wedding, let alone support a family.
In 2025, Oman issued 4,208 divorce certificates, up from 3,828 two years earlier. That is more than eleven every day, in a year that saw 23,117 marriages. Officials at the Ministry of Social Development say most divorces happen within the first four years.
Many people would argue that the age of marriage and the number of children are personal choices that should not be subject to interference from the state.
Yet in reality, a drop in the number of births has social and economic consequences. The world is witnessing an increase in the aging population, which is often accompanied by a rise in the number of people using health services, and those services depend on a workforce drawn from the younger generation. Fewer births would lead countries to raise the age of retirement so that more people remain in work, paying taxes and supporting other members of society.
This is why I strongly support offering workshops to couples before they marry. They would learn how to communicate effectively, how to listen, how to disagree fairly, how to manage a household budget, and when to ask for help.
Such a programme raises ethical questions. Should attendance be voluntary or a condition of the marriage contract? I believe we should begin by inviting couples, not forcing them.
We must also be honest about what a workshop can achieve. It should never suggest that a person must stay in a harmful marriage. Sometimes divorce is the right decision.
Some will say we should simply offer counselling when problems appear. But few couples come. This could be explained by fear of being seen at a counselling centre, and how that could be perceived as a sign of weakness. Some couples believe a good husband or wife should cope alone.
Others are afraid to talk to a stranger who may judge them or share their secrets.
In my opinion, teaching new couples how to navigate the early years of marriage would empower them with the skills to communicate better and focus on building a happy family.